The 40th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin AFB, Fla., completed developmental flight testing of BAE Systems’ fixed-wing Advanced Precision Kill Weapon System II on the A-10 ground-attack aircraft, according to a base release. The first of three shots of the 2.75-inch diameter, 35-pound, laser-guided rocket occurred in February, with the weapon impacting inches away from the target, according to the April 3 release. The Air Force is performing this testing under an Office of the Secretary of Defense-sponsored joint concept technology demonstration that aims to take the combat-proven APKWS, which Marine Corps helicopters have used in Afghanistan, and modify it for use on fixed-wing platforms. The lightweight rocket is designed to minimize collateral damage. “We don’t have a precision weapon out there now that can do that,” said Joe Stromsness, project manager. Operational testing on the A-10 and F-16 is slated to start in May at China Lake Test Range in California. The Navy in March tested this variant of APKWS on the AV-8B. This weapon could be ready for operational use by 2015, according to the release. (Eglin report by Samuel King Jr.)
A remarkable cockpit photograph released by Ukraine last week captures far more than the destruction of a Russian Geran jet-powered attack drone. It illustrates both how far the Ukrainian Air Force has come—and the gap between the force it has today and the one it would need to become a…
